Wall cavity tray



Jan. 27, 1959 I J, GARTH 2,870,627

WALL CAVITY TRAY Filed July 24, 1956 dfames darzh 1am msbym United States Patent WALL CAVITY TRAY James'Garth, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 24, 1956, Serial No. 599,796

2 Claims. '(Cl. 72-128) This invention relates to improvements .in-a cavity -wall tray, that is, a tray for catching droppings of excess mortar during the construction of a cavity type masonry wall.

A-cavity type masonry'wall is most desirable because of the provision of the cavity or dead air space which enhances the heat insulation of the wall. .However, to prevent the accumulation of moisture or condensation in the cavity, the cavity must be vented. One of the common ways in which the cavity of a cavity wall is vented is by providing a series of holes at the bottom of the cavity. These holes are known .and .referred to in the art as weep holes.

If extreme care is not taken in the construction of a cavity type masonry wall droppings of mortar during the construction of the wall fall to the bottom of the cavity and plug up the weep holes, thus preventing the escape of moisture in the wall which resultsin the deterioration of the wall.

The present invention relates to a device which may be employed during the construction of a cavity .type masonry wall whereby the droppings of mortar during the construction of the wall may be caught and removedfrom the cavity thus eliminating theplugging .ofthe weep .holes.

Oneof the important features-of the present invention resides in a device of hinged tray constructionso contrived that the device may be disposed inthe cavity of a wall and may be periodicallyremoved therefrom as the construction of the wall proceeds, the construction of the tray being such that while it .rests in the cavity it forms a complete stop from wall to wall of the cavity but which when withdrawn from the cavity has its sides move inwardly toward each other confining .the mortar'droppings between them whereby the device with .the caught droppings can be conveniently removed from the cavity.

Other objects and .advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawingand .fol lowing detailed description.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective view ofa .device embodying the concepts of the presen'tinven'tion, the device being shown inopen position.

Fig.2 is :an-elevational view of'the device comprising the present invention inoperative position in 'thecavity of a cavity wall and-restingupon a-wall tie.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 wherein the cavity wall tray rests upon the bottom of the cavity.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the device at the bottom of a wall cavity, the cavity being of lesser width than the cavities shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4 illustrating the cavity wall tray being raised in the cavity.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shown in Figs. 4 and 5, showing a modified attachment of the raising element.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 indicates a cavitytype masonry wall which may be constructed of bricks 2, concrete blocks or other types of masonry units. The cavity wall 1 comprises two separate walls 3 and 4 which are spaced horizontally from each other to provide an Patented Jan. 27, 1959 ice intervening cavity 5. It is customary in the construction of cavity walls to provide, at the bottom of the cavity 5 holes (not shown) which communicate with the interior of the cavity to vent the cavity and to prevent the accumulation of moisture and condensation therein. In the construction of the cavity wall 1 the spaced walls 3 and 4 are tied together by tie rods 6 which are imbedded in the mortar comprising the walls .3 and 4. A plurality of these tie rods are positioned throughout the length and height of the wall.

In the construction of the wall 1, as the courses of bricks, blocks, or other masonry units are laid, excess mortar frequently drops into the cavity 5 and plugs the vent holes at the bottom thereof. The present invention resides in the provision of a device which may be employed to prevent the falling of excess mortar to the bottom of the cavity.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, a wall cavity tray 7 embodying the features of the present invention is 'illustrated. The tray 7 is constructed essentially in two sections, section 8 and section 9. Section 8 comprises sheet metal which may be formed from an elongated sheet and which may be bent longitudinally intermediate its width to provide an angle 10. The angle 10 is preferably less than 90 and it has been found that an angle in the neighborhood of approximately is quite suitable. However, it is to be understood that the angle 10 maybe any desired angle less than The member 9 is similar to the member 8 and is formed from a relatively elongated sheet of sheet metal bent along a longitudinal line to form an angle 11 which is similar to the angle 10. Thus, the tray 7 comprises the elements 8 and 9 each of which has an upwardly extending leg portion 12 and 13, respectively, and a tray portion 14 and 15, respectively.

The upwardly extending leg portions 12 and 13 of the elements 3 and 9 are rolled to form beads 16 through which a hinge pin 17 extends. Thus, a hinge construction is formed whereby the elements 8 and 9 are hinged together.

The outer longitudinal edge of the tray portion 14 of the member 8 is reverse bent as indicated at 17 in Fig. l and in similar fashion the outer longitudinal edge of the tray portion 15 of the element 9 is reverse bent as indicated at 18 in Fig. 1. The purpose of this construction will be hereinafter more fully described.

During the building of the wall 1, the device 7 is adapted to be positioned in the space between the walls which will form the cavity 5. Tosubsequently remove the tray after a predetermined height of wall has been built up, suspending elements 19 and 20 may be employed. The suspending elements 19 and 2t) are preferably chains or they could comprise any type of flexible suspending means. The suspending elements 19 and 20 are joined to subelements 21 and 22, the ends of each being respectively secured to the outer edge portions of the members 8 and 9. At the initial construction of the wall 1 the device 7 is positioned at the base of the proposed cavity 5 until it rests at the bottom of said cavity, as best illustrated in 'Fig. 3. The construction of the device 7 is such that when the suspending elements are tensioned and the tray is suspended by the subelements 21 and 22, the members 3 and 9 hinge inwardly toward each other. The outer edges of the tray portions 14 and 15 thus move inwardly toward each other and effectively decrease the width of the entire element. Thus, the device 7 may be conveniently raised from the cavity 5. However, when said device is initially positioned in the bottom of the cavity the tray portions 14 and 15 are moved away from each other, thereby effectively increasing the width of the device until the entire width of the cavity 5 is spanned by the tray portions M and 15.

With the device 7 positioned at the bottom of the cavity the courses comprising the walls 3 and 4 may be laid in the conventional manner and mortar droppings occasioned by the erection of the wall will be caught by the tray portions 14 and- 15. "As the height of the wall increases, the device 7,- together with the mortar drop: pings caught thereby, may be raised by the suspending elements 19 and 20 and thus the mortar droppings carried by the device 7 may be removed from the'cavity.

,Referring particularly to Fig. 5, it will be noted that 1 when tension is applied to the suspending element 19, the

subelements 21 and 22 are also tensioned and the tray portions 14 and 15 of the device swing toward each other forming a box-like structure in which the mortar droppings are carried. In this fashion the edge portions of the tray are moved inwardly from the inner walls of the walls 3 and 4 and the device may thus be conveniently raised in the cavity.

"After a predetermined height of wall has been conbeen caught and additional tie rods will then bridge the J walls 3 and 4. This action may proceed until the entire wall is constructed and it will be seen that mortar droppings have all been caught by the device 7 and the weep holes will remain unplugged.

Depending upon the width of the cavity the members 8 'and'9 may swing about the hinge pin 17 until the leg portions 12 and 13 contact each other or the members 8 and 9 maybe swung outwardly away from each other about the hinge pin 17 until the edge portions of the trays 14 '&I1Cl contact the inner surfaces of the walls 3 and 4. By reverse bending the longitudinal edges of the tray portions '14 and 15 contact of the outer longitudinal edges of said tray portions with the walls is brought aboutv in a more expeditious manner. If desired, the outer longituand as many thereof may be used, as desired, during the erection of a cavity wall, the trays preferably being disposed in staggered or end overlapping relationship to each other. The trays 7 may be constructed of sheet metal, plastic or may even be constructed of wood, if so desired.

As an example of the tray construction, a tray was fabricated from 26 gauge sheet metal; being 8 feet long and had three suspending elements spaced four feet from each other. The tray elements 14 and 15 were each one and one-eighth inch wide and the leg portions were threequarters inch high. The angles 10 and 11 were 80". Such a tray operated very satisfactorily in conjunction with the making of a cavity wall having a cavity width of two and one-half inches.

The example hereinbefore given is set forth by way of illustration and not limitation. In addition, although in the example a two and one-half inch width cavitywas provided, it is to be understood that the tray may have an overall width either lesser or greater than the cavity width.

1. A wall cavity tray for catching mortar dro'ppedidi the cavity during the erection of a cavity-type wall, said dinal edges of the tray portions 14 and 15 may be rubber covered which facilitates the scraping of the inner surfaces of the walls during the raising of. thedevice 7.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, suspending elements, only one of which is shown at 23, may be secured to the hinged portion of the cavity wall tray 7. When the tray 7 is suspended by the flexible suspending elements 23, the members 8 and 9 tend to swing downwardly about the hinge pin 17 until the leg portions 12 and 13 contact each other, if the cavity 5 is sufiiciently wide to permit such an angle of swing, or until the return bent edge portions 17' and 18 contact the inner faces. of the walls 3 and 4.

It can readily be seen that it the width of the cavity 5 is less than the aggregate width of the tray when the leg portions 12 and 13 are in contact, the lowering and raising of the tray will cause the edge portions of the tray elements 14 and 15 to rub upon the walls? and 4. This action may be advantageous, particularly when the tray is being raised, since the excess mortar still clinging to tray comprising, a pair of relatively elongated elements,

each element comprising a leg portion and a companion; tray portion which latter is coextensive in length with its companion leg portion, the plane of each leg portion be ing disposed at an acute angle to'the plane of its companion tray portion, hinge means connecting the longitudinal edges of the leg portions of said elements together with the leg portions freely swingable about said hinge means into substantially plane-parallel plane-abutting. rc-

' lationship to each other whereby the tray portions span transversely a substantial portion of the width of the wall cavity, and flexible means connected to the longitudinal edges of said trayfportions remote from saidleg portions to swing said tray portions toward each other in the cavity when said flexible means is tensione'd to move the tray upwardly from said cavity with droppings caught during the erection of the wall.

2. A tray as contemplated in claim 1 wherein the leg portion and the tray portion of each elongated element are at an angle to each other of about References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,993 ONeill Sept. 13, 1887' 1,582,309 Satterberg Apr. 27, 1926 2,213,354 Wilson Sept. 3, 1940 2,705,887 Xanten Apr. 12, 1955 Many unpatentablechanges may be made in the de-' 

